Fateful encounter
by Niahara Erskine
Summary: Ciel Brouillard is a psychiatrist that has been attacked by a serial criminal and barely escaped the encounter. L is the one who finds her wounded on the streets. What can she do to change the outcome of the Kira case and help those involved in it? LXOC Hiatus
1. Encounter

_**A/N So yeah another DN fanfic. I'm back into anime, manga and mostly Death Note so I decided to start a new fanfic and have some fun. For those who read my "Remorse" story, I'm not going to continue it. I'm leaving it as it is and probably I will write a sequel for it. I already have about 10 chapters of the sequel, but I plan to finish it before I post it. Please read and review XD. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but no flames please. Also English isn't my native language just so you know as I may have some spelling and grammar mistakes.**_

_**L: Leila-san didn't you forget something?**_

_**Me: Nuuh.**_

_**L: The disclaimer…**_

_**Me: It's not fair. Ok, ok I do not own Death Note and Lawli-kun *sigh*Happy now?**_

_**L: Yes. *eats some cake***_

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Rain was falling mercilessly, whipping her face, soaking her long, flaming hair, hiding her tears. Blood was dripping from a gash on her forehead, blinding her right eye; pain was shaking her petite body purple with bruises and cuts, her ripped dress was barely covering her wounded body. However, despite the rain and the pain she was oblivious to everything around her... all she could see wash the blood on her hands and the dead body of a young man lying in a puddle of blood at her feet, a wicked smile plastered on his face even in death. Next to him, thrown aside, lay a hunting knife still stained with the victim's blood despite the rain that was trying to cleanse it.

The girl's pupils were wide, her dark blue eyes mirroring fright and terror; her lips were chalky white and trembling, her face was drained of all its color. She was unable to move, her body frozen to the spot with shock. She couldn't believe she was still alive and her attacker was dead… she couldn't comprehend anything that was going on around her.

Suddenly, a siren rang in the surrounding silence and a police car was rapidly approaching her. Still in shock, the girl's mind was blank and her body reacted only due to the adrenaline pumping in her veins; she turned around and ran in the opposite direction as fast as she could, her sight still blurry from the blood that was flowing from her wound. The girl was innocent; her act had been out of self-defense, trying to pry herself from her attacker's deadly grasp. However, at the moment she wasn't realizing all that: her mind was clouded with thoughts of the attack and all she knew was that she had killed a human being. She ran even faster, ignoring the rain, taking no notice of the blood that was staining her dress…

Suddenly, a black limo crossed her way as it tried to turn left onto the boulevard. Due to her unnatural rush of adrenaline, the girl had been unable to stop… she stretched her arms forward in an attempt to break her run and collided with the left side of the car. The force of the hit knocked her backwards, thus leading to her falling and hitting her head, losing consciousness.

The car stopped and an elderly man, dressed in a black suit got out and knelt next to the young woman, checking her vitals. She was breathing heavily and her pulse was faster than normal. He immediately noticed her abnormal amount of bruises and cuts that were, from what he could see, freshly made. The door of the limo opened again and another person got out of it; this time it was a young man in his mid twenties. He had a bizarre look; it was clear that he was quite tall, but one could not notice it due to the fact that he was walking hunched, his spine bent at an unnatural angle. He had spiky, raven hair and huge, round, metallic grey eyes with wide pupils, circled by dark bags making him looks like he hadn't slept in all his years. His skin bore a queer, ashen color that made him look sick. He was dressed casually with a large, white, baggy T-shirt and warn-up jeans that were a faded blue color. Perhaps the most striking feature was that his feet were crammed directly into a pair of beaten, old snickers as if he was afraid of wearing socks. The contrast he held with the elderly man was strikingly visible.

"What's wrong, Watari?" the young man asked with a curious glance.

"This is the person who ran into our limo, master L." the man called Watari answered "she is wounded and full of bruises, her pulse is fast and her breathing quite ragged. She may have one or more broken ribs. What should we do with her?"

The young man addressed as L stood quiet and watched the wounded girl. The possibility of her surviving if she were left on the streets was less than 20%, quite low for his liking. He studied her pained face, her wounded body; he glanced at her ripped dress and noticed her frail state. A small voice at the back of his mind was telling him that it was none of his business, but he brushed it aside. Whatever anyone may think, he was far from being a heartless person. He bent even more and scooped her in his arms, showing an uncanny strength despite his weird posture.

"We're taking her with us." He finally answered "She is not gravely injured so we can treat her ourselves. It would be dangerous to take her to the hospital as her attacker might return. Plus I wouldn't want to take any unnecessary risks for my identity to be revealed." L headed back to the limo and put the young woman inside. He then got in as well, while Watari resumed his role as a driver. Ten minutes later they had arrived at the Imperial Hotel, their current headquarters. Once again, L picked the girl up and entered the hotel through a secret passageway not wanting to attract attention. Afterall you don't see a man carrying an injured lady every day.

He entered his apartment and gently placed the girl on the bed, then waited for Watari's arrival. As soon as the old man entered the room, L got shooed outside so that Watari could treat the young woman. L brought his thumb to his lips, nibbling it gently and headed towards the other room. He swiftly jumped on a chair, took a doughnut from the plate placed on the table, next to his desk and turned on his laptop. He was curious to find some information about the girl he had just rescued, but for that he needed a name. Meanwhile he had work to do; he would have to wait to satisfy his curiosity until the girl woke up.


	2. Revival

A/N Weee, chapter II is out XD. I'll have to start writing again, since I only had these two written on my notebook. Again sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes. Now some thanks are in order:

Narutowolf: Thank you for reviewing, I'm glad you liked it ^^

Satoshistar7: Thank you ^^ I will make sure to reread the manga and I've already done some research so that I can talk about Ciel's job better XD

Me: *grabs Near* Pweeeease say it Near-kun.

Near: *blank stare* No!

Me: Pweeease. I'll buy you a new robot.

Near: *sigh* Fine! She doesn't own Death Note or L, but she owns Ciel as it is her OC.

Me: Thanks *glomps Near*. Enjoy and please review ^^

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Chapter II

The only sound that could be heard when Watari left the girl's room was the continuous tapping on the laptop's keyboard. L seemed entranced by his current work and failed to realize the other man's presence in the room.

"L!" the Watari called out, eyeing the working man "She is not gravely injured as you already know. The worst she has is, as I presumed, a broken rib, but luckily it hasn't punctured her lung and is bound to heal quite nicely. Her bruises and cuts are all shallow and will fade in a week at most. The gash she has above her forehead required three stitches; fortunately she didn't hit her head very hard when she fell. What concerns me are the mental outcomes of the attack; we cannot know how she will react when she wakes up. "

"Hmm…" L answered nibbling his thumb. Watari was unsure whether the young man had listened to the diagnosis or not. He still couldn't understand why L had saved the young woman thus making it possible for someone to uncover his identity.

"Did she have an ID or any other means of identification with her?" L asked completely changing the subject. The girl's wounds meant little to him, since he had already noticed that she was not in mortal peril. However her identity was a matter of great importance; whether she was a well known citizen or an unimportant member of the society, since Kira had started his killing spree crime rate had decreased significantly. It wasn't every day that a young woman was attacked due to the fright that had been installed. Her attacker must have been certain that he wouldn't be found…

"She had a driver's license in a hidden pocket of her dress. Any either means of identification must have been either lost or stolen." Watari took the driver's license from his pocket and gave it to L.

"Ciel Brouillard" L raised an eyebrow at the curious name "Quite an uncanny name. The significance is too clear for it to be her real name."[0]

"You think it is a false name?" Watari asked and L nodded "Why would she do that?"

"Perhaps to hide from someone. Or maybe she's hiding something. Either way it is not because of Kira. This driver's license is from November 2000 and almost four years ago. I'm curious…" L said and nibbled on his thumb once more. He accessed the internet and typed her name on Google.

"What is it, master L?" Watari asked seeing L's confused face. He too had sensed something different about the girl, but he couldn't place it. What was so different about her?

"It is not a false name, Watari." L answered and grabbed another doughnut " Ciel Brouillatd, 22 years old. Psychiatrist specialized in forensic psychiatry. She also owns a private cabinet. She moved to Japan four years ago with her adoptive parents, after spending the previous 10 years in England. Although she is not the official forensic psychiatrist of the police she works with them on most of the case." L read the information he had found in the data base.

"A forensic psychiatrist?" Watari asked in surprise.

"Indeed. Forensic psychiatrists work with courts in evaluating an individual's competency to stand trial, defenses based on mental diseases or defects, and sentencing recommendations. Also, forensic psychiatrists are often called to be expert witnesses in both criminal and civil proceedings. Expert witnesses give their opinion about a specific issue. Often the psychiatrist will have prepared a detailed report before testifying. The primary duty of the expert witness is to provide an independent opinion to the court." [1]

A forensic psychiatrist could prove herself important in the Kira case, L thought to himself. She could see things beyond his power of judgment due to her interaction with people. This, Ciel Brouillard could prove herself an important factor in solving the Kira case. If only she would say yes…

"Anyway" L resumed his previous thoughts "We'll know more about her when she wakes up. At the moment it would be unwise to simply let her go. Anyway her broken rib makes it impossible for her to move more than a couple of steps."

Ah, so he had listened, Watari smiled to himself. He then nodded and took a seat on the sofa, opening a book to occupy his time. All they could do now was to wait.

Time had passed quickly… seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and soon a whole day had passed without the young woman waking up. Her room was drowned in complete darkness and silence. The crimson color of the curtains contrasted powerfully with the white, satin bed sheets and the peach cover that was covering Ciel. She was breathing much better and looked almost content as she slept. The two men had decided to leave her alone so no one disturbed the stillness of the room.

Suddenly, Ciel's eyelids flickered. She opened her eyes and stared in surprise at the unfamiliar room. Wondering where she was, Ciel got up and stretched a habit she'd had since childhood. She hissed in pain as some of her cuts opened again, but she still pressed her bare feet onto the soft carpet and got up, heading with shaky feet towards the door. She had to find out where she was and who had dressed up all her wounds. Ciel quietly opened the door and left the room… she noticed she was no longer wearing her ripped blue dress, the one she had worn in the night of the attack, but rather a baggy white T-shirt that came down to her knees. She entered the other room and started scanning it:

"Good to see you on your feet, miss Ciel." An elderly voice said and she frowned. He had most likely found her driver's license so he knew her name. She looked in the direction the voice came from and was surprised to see an old man with a single strip of hair. His gentle eyes were hid behind a pair of spectacles and a small smile was present on his face.

"Though, you shouldn't move much. You have a broken rib" he added in concern and Ciel grimaced. So that's what why moving was so painful. She took a seat on the sofa and checked the other inhabitant of the room. He stood crunched in his chair with his knees pulled over to his chest, nibbling his thumb and checking his laptop in silence.

"Is he an autistic?"[2] Ciel asked seriously and Watari chocked. L turned around and glanced at her with his round, obsidian eyes.

"I can assure you that I am nor, Ciel-san" he said in a deep voice and the woman oh-ed. "It is nice that you finally joined us." The young woman glared at him; they were both acting like everything was just fine. It looked like they failed to realize she had no idea who they were and where she was.

"Yeah, right, all's nice and dandy!"Ciel rolled her eyes sarcastically "Who are you people and where in the world am I?"

"You are at the Imperial Hotel, miss Ciel." Watari smiled gently "You bumped into out limo yesterday so we brought you here in order to ensure your safety. I also dressed up your wounds. My name is Watari."

"Thank you, Watari-san. Though, there was no need to shelter me here." Ciel stated in a grim voice

"How can you be so sure your attacker wouldn't have followed you?" the old man asked raising an eyebrow, but Ciel remained silent.

L glanced at her once more. From what her behavior could tell him, her grim face, her constant bitting of her lower lip and the fidgeting, he was more than sure that the woman had either incapacitated her attacker or killed him in self-defense.

"And who are you?" Ciel finally broke the silence questioning L.

"Please call me Ryuuzaki." He stated simply. Ciel quickly observed that he did not say his name was Ryuuzaki, rather asked her to call him thus. "However, the important question would be" he continued "who are you relly, Ciel-san? Your name is very unusual." Although he had found evidence that it was indeed her real name the coincidence was too great for L to like it. Such an unusual name was too rare, as usually parents didn't name their children so that their first and last name would signify something together. And Ciel was adopted, but had not taken her new family's name…

The girl paled a bit and sighed. That was her real name, but not in the way many would have thought. She decided her story was none of Ryuuzaki's business so she replied coldly.

"That is my real name. You can google it if you do not believe me Ryuuzaki-san."

"I already did." He answered in his matter-of-fact tone and Ciel glared again. She was a psychiatrist therefore she was used to keeping her emotions at bay, but something about this man got on her nerves.

"What exactly caused a psychiatrist like yourself to be attacked as it happened yesterday? I am sure that hazard had nothing to do with it." Ryuuzaki smirked a bit, as if sensing her uneasiness.

Ciel closed her eyes and sighed. Should she tell this stranger what had happened? Could she trust him? Would it matter anyway? She tried to scare away the memories of the previous night and decided to tell him everything. After all, she knew it better than anyone that it was useful to take it off her chest…

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[0]: Ciel Brouillard means Foggy Sky, so that's why L says it's unlikely for it to be her real name

[1]: The explanation was more for those who were wondering what a forensic psychiatrist was than for Watari

[2]: Ciel asks whether L is an autistic or not because he acts like he does: mostly emotionless. Also she notices the abnormal way he sits.


	3. Remembrance

_**A/N Chapter three XD. So, I'm at chapter four on my notebook so probably my updates are going to be pretty much one at four or five days so that I can have a few backup chapter written on my notebook to keep me entertained. And now some thanks are once more in order again *hugs all reviwers* Sorry for any mistakes I may have made, but I was really tired when I typed this.**_

_**Too lazy to log in: Thank you for your review. I changed what you told me and I'm glad you liked the story XD**_

_**8yume: I'm glad to hear that! ^^**_

_**Sharwil: Thankies. I love descriptions more than the action .**_

_**Redxcanary: Thanks ^^**_

_**Narutowolf: I'm happy to hear that XD**_

_**And now *drum beats*…. Ayup you guessed right I do not own anything.**_

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Ciel locked eyes with Ryuuzaki and stared in his dark, obsidian ones. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to tell him what had happened the previous night.

"Are you familiar with the theory of the good twin and evil twin [1], Ryuuzaki-san?" she asked and L nodded briefly." This time there was a case of the evil twin and eviler twin. How you heard of the serial killer called "The Shatterer of Roses?" [2]

"In fact, I am well acquainted with the case. However, I was under the impression that the police had already captured the criminal while he was about to commit the fourth murder."

"Do you always speak like this?" Ciel asked raising an eyebrow in annoyance. His language was that of a detective who was prosecuting his suspect and she hated being questioned. "Don't answer, it doesn't matter" she rectified." The police has indeed captured the criminal and I concluded that the murders had been indeed premeditated and that he was not suffering by any mental illnesses that would have led him to commit them. Also, during the investigation we have noticed that the criminal had an obsession with the number four [3]. The murders had taken place on the 4th, 14th, 24th of November [4], the victims had been stabbed exactly four times in the heart and torso, and four shattered roses had been left at each scene of the crime. Also, the criminal was arrested on the 4th of December when he was about to commit his forth murder, after having drugged his victim. Still, we never took into account the possibility of a copycat that would appear in order to finish the Shatterer's work. The convict went on trial and on the 8th of the same month was sentenced to death by hanging [4], punishment which has been executed two days later."

"But something happened four days after his death, on the 14th, right Ciel-san?" Ryuuzaki concluded after hearing the first part of her story. The young psychiatrist sighed and shut her eyes, trying to block the memories away."

"Indeed." She added her voice barely above a whisper. Ciel stopped talking, trying to gather her thoughts. The 14th had been ten days before yesterday, the night of the attack. She had noticed that something was not entirely right, but she had cast her dark thoughts aside thinking she was being a bit edgy.

"On the 14th a series of incidents started happening, unexplainable incidents." She said." I first took them as coincidence and brushed them aside, since the day that followed they had stopped. Anyway, I had no real reason to suspect anything wrong."

"What kind of incidents?" L asked taking a piece of cake from the table and stuffing it into his mouth. Only now had Ciel been able to notice that the table was full of sweets of all kinds. She couldn't believe that was all this strange man, Ryuuzaki she reminded herself, ate. Ciel decided to take notice and ask later if she had the chance.

"It was as if the number four was all present in my life all of a sudden. When I woke up, I found four cups neatly arranged on the table, while I was sure I had left only three of them. The television was set on channel four and I had four books on the tea table, instead of two like I usually had. I said to myself these were only petty things and I figured I was still bothered by the previous case. However, what really freaked me out was that I found four roses lying on my doorstep. I threw them away quickly, then quickly rushed to the police office to talk to officer Ishigawa, the one who had been in charge of the case. I voiced my worries and he tried to calm me down, reminding me that the murderer, Morizawa Kyousuke [5 was dead and we had both witnessed his passing. He also added it was most likely that everything was a bad joke, as my involvement in the case hadn't been kept a secret by the police as always. I told myself he was probably right and headed off to work. Nothing else happened that day so I relaxed and figured everything was over." Ciel closed her eyes again "Then, for another ten days everything was peaceful… until yesterday."

Ciel stopped… her body started trembling reminiscent of the horror from the previous night. She could see once more the evil plastered on the attacker's face, the white, hunting knife glowing in the darkness; she remembered the coldness of the blade upon her skin. She could feel his warm breathe upon her neck, wreaking of tobacco, as her pressed the knife closer and closer to her throat… his words were coming back to her, how she would be the last one, how the masterpiece of eternal beauty would be complete… the last shattered rose. She remembered him telling her how his brother, Kyousuke would be so proud of him finishing his piece of art and at the same time getting revenge on the one who got him the death penalty. Everything came back at her with full force: the fright, the terror, the tears… everything about him haunted her: his eyes full of darkness, his crooked, evil smile, his cold hands. No one in her life had struck her with so much fear like he had.

"Maybe, we should stop for a while." Watari said noticing the young woman's disturbed state. "Do you not agree, Ryuuzaki?"

Before the raven haired man could answer to the question, Ciel responded for him:

"I'm all right, Watari-san. Please do not worry about me." She said in the calmest note she could muster, although her voice quivered a bit. Watari nodded and excused himself, saying that he had urgent matters awaiting him that he could no longer delay. He got up and exited the room, thus leaving Ciel with Ryuuzaki.

The raven haired man watched the young woman as she forced herself to remain calm. When he had seen her start trembling, he had been 100% positive that she would succumb to her memories of the previous night and would, thus, be unable to continue her story. He was about to agree with Watari's proposal of taking a break when she had surprised him with wanting to do on.

"Shall we continue, then?" Ryuuzaki asked in his usual deep, emotionless tone. Ciel nodded; she was glad that she couldn't see any trace of emotion on his face. She didn't need anyone's pity, not now nor ever.

"Yes." The young psychiatrist took a deep breath and continued " I had already forgotten about the incidents that had happened on the 14th therefore I went to work as usual. I finished earlier so I went to a nearby café to get something sweet and a cappuccino. Half an hour later, I headed back to my car and tried starting it, but without response. The engine was dead; my old Ford had been playing tricks on me lately so this did not come as a surprise. I decided to go home by foot and I took I shortcut to arrive faster. I turned left on a narrow alley, hidden behind the Palace Hotel [5] and after a few more steps stopped a bit to catch my breath. Suddenly, someone quickly came behind me and pressed a blade against my neck; he pushed me to the nearby wall and forced me to turn around and face him." Color was draining from Ciel's cheeks as she was recalling the events. "The same eyes, the same face were facing me as they had fourteen days prior when Morizawa had been sentenced to death. I could have never guessed he had a twin; his name was Takeo and he said he was there to finish his brother's piece of art. The bruises and cuts were his way of playing the game of cat and mouse, the gash was a result of me screaming for help. I managed to escape just by a stroke of luck: he heard a police siren on a nearby street and got careless. He tried to finish me off faster, but I managed to work this to my advantage and shift my body so that I could kick the knife out of his hand. I bent and took the knife, the tried to run away, but he caught up with me. I turned around and stabbed him… everything else is blurry after this." By the time she had finished, Ciel no longer had any control over her body. The calmness that she had forced upon herself had vanished… she wasn't as strong as she wanted to be. She tried to stop her trembling, but was unable to do so. Still, she wouldn't cry… she had vowed to herself not to let anyone see her being weak and she had already broken that vow the previous night.

"Thank you for your honesty, Ciel-san." Ryuuzaki said calmly. He looked like he wanted to add something else, but suddenly the laptop's screen lit up and a voice message could be heard in the silence of the room.

"L, the government of the USA has sent twelve FBI agents as you have requested to aid you in the Kira Case." A deep baritone voice stated.

Ciel paled even more and looked at Ryuuzaki with wide open eyes. L? L? This man, Ryuuzaki, was in fact L? This new piece of information combined with the pain of reliving the night's attack lead to one thing: Ciel losing her consciousness and slipping into darkness.

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[1] From what I know there is a theory called the theory of the good twin and evil twin stating that in case one of the two is more onto the dark side the other is bound to be the exact opposite. Sorry if I am wrong.

[2] The Author of this story swears that any resemblance in name to her in pure coincidence and begs the readers to believe that she is not a serial murderer. The names just suited the purposes.

[3] Four in Japanese is "shi" and is pronounced like death ("shi") only written differently.

[4] **Capital punishment** is legal in Japan, with the only crimes for which this is the statutory punishment being homicide and treason. Between 1946 and 1993, Japanese courts sentenced 766 people to death (including a small number from People's Republic of China, South Korea and Malaysia), 608 of whom were executed. Someone guilty of a single murder rarely faces the death penalty. Executions are carried out by hanging in a death chamber within the Detention Center. When a death order has been issued, the condemned prisoner is informed in the morning of his or her execution.

[5] This story is purely fictional. Again any resemblance to real characters is pure coincidence.

[6] There really is a hotel in Japan called the Palace Hotel.


	4. Nightmare

_**A/N Ok, chapter four is out. About the debate about autism/Asperger's syndrome I'll let you guys decided by yourselves whether L shows signs of any. The line in chapter II was mostly because Ciel was extremely intrigued by L ^^ Also there are some slight Death Note: Another Note the LABB murder Case spoilers in this chapter and bigger ones are bound to come so please don't read if you mind 'em. Consider yourselves warned.**_

_**Mello: Oh shut up already, you're boring them.**_

_**Me: *mini-gun pointed at Mello's head* Fine! Then say it.**_

_**Mello: *glare* She doesn't own L, BB, or any other DN characters. She only owns her OC, Ciel and a copy of LABB.**_

_**Me: Thankies.**_

_**XxEyelinerHeartsxX: Thank you. Is this update soon enough or should I work on it?**_

_**Narutowolf: Squee thank you. I think you're my no 1 fan so far *hugs***_

_**silver bubble: Actually I'm a girl not a dude, but thanks XD**_

_**Bakagirl101: Here you are. ^^**_

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L hadn't been surprised seeing Ciel slip into darkness; in fact he had expected it. After the psychical trauma she had gone through, reliving the attack could have led to worse than just fainting. She had proven herself to be a rather strong person.

However, what he didn't count on was receiving that particular message from the FBI with the young woman present. He had wanted to tell her himself who he was, when he would see fit. The man sighed and went back to his computer. The twelve FBI agents would be monitoring anyone who had a remote connection with the task force and who would be therefore able to hack into the computer files and observe the conclusion that had been so far drown in the Kira case.

He knew that Kira was toying with him… he would have done the same in his place. It all came down to a battle of wits and the one who won was the one who managed to remain alive. L knew that he had to act swiftly… the longer Kira remained alive, the possibility of innocent victims becoming his prey grew bigger.

Kira was confident in his own power to the point of taunting L. The message left by the dead convicts still haunted Ryuuzaki: "L did you know Shinigami only eat apples?" Gods of Death… what was the meaning behind this phrase? He could not believe that such beings really existed. Maybe it referred to Kira's method of killing. L hoped that the FBI agents could provide him with more information. It was a shame that Naomi Misora was no longer part of the agency; her instincts could have been useful for him. After all she had been an important factor in solving the LABB Murder Case…

In a way, L had accepted to take on the Kira Case to seek revenge, although he knew such feelings were for the weak hearted. Beyond had been a murderer that much was true, the pressure had driven him towards insanity, but he had still been a part of Wammy's and he didn't deserve to be killed by some student with a God complex. After all he had been sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. Also above all, losing to L once more had been the worst punishment B could have received.

Due to Beyond's murder, it was no longer a matter of solving a case anymore;[1] it was a necessity he had to fulfill. L knew that he had to restore justice to the world otherwise he would lose for the first time in his life… and he hated losing.

He glanced at Ciel once more; maybe she would prove to be the missing link that would allow him to crack the case and capture Kira. He was curious what she thought about the criminal… Suddenly he saw something change in her posture. Her breathing fastened and sweat started forming at her temples. Her eyebrows were knitted together and her face was twisted in a grimace; the young woman's whole body was shacking, yet she was not uttering one single sound.

Ciel was dreaming… she was walking by herself on a narrow alley, drowned in darkness and silence. She felt something was wrong about that particular street, she could tell something bad was bound to happen, but she could not stop her feet from walking further on. She glanced left and right, trying to scare her feelings of uneasiness away, but to no avail.

Suddenly, she heard quick footsteps behind her. Someone was approaching her and before Ciel had any time to react, she felt a blade pressed to her skin and a warm breath on her neck.

"What a pretty rose we have here," a voice said and a flare of shock spread through her body… she knew that voice. The person roughly pushed her in the nearby wall and turned her around to face him. She winced in pain from the collision and her eyes widened when she saw her attacker… short, blonde hair standing in all place, cruel, blue eyes sparkling with malice and a crooked smile full of darkness. This man couldn't be real, she had seen him dying.

"Ah, I see you recognize my face." He smirked cruelly "Do not worry, I am not who you think I am. I am in fact Takeo, his twin and I am here to finish his work of art." Still brutally pushing her to the wall her moved her knife towards her slender arms and began pressing the blade upon her skin, drawing blood. "So fair, so fitting to be the last shattered rose. My brother would be proud of me for finishing his master piece and bringing true justice upon the one who had gotten him killed… after all if your diagnosis would have been slightly different." He raised his arm and powerfully punched Ciel in the stomach, making the woman groan in pain. She was scared, her whole body was trembling, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of breaking down in front of him.

While in this dreaming state, Ciel had started trashing around, unable to wake up and realize everything was just a nightmare. During this time, L was watching her, not knowing how to react. The only nightmares he had ever encountered had been his own and considering the fact he barely slept, they had been few. Most of them had been during his early years of childhood, reminiscent of his parents' unnatural death.

He stepped away from his desk and slowly approached Ciel, unsure what he could do to calm her down. He lowered himself to her level, as she was still lying on the sofa and stretched his arm foreword in an attempt to try and wake her up. Suddenly Ciel's hand bolted upwards and her small, white fingers entangled themselves with his. It had been an involuntary reaction, caused most likely by her dreams, but it had taken L by surprise. He hadn't held someone's hand, hadn't been so close to another human being except Watari since he had been a child and he had been brought to the Orphanage. However, this simple, involuntary movement on Ciel's part that had surprised him had proven to be the trigger to scare her fright away. Slowly, the young woman's breathing slowed down and her trashing ceased. She was still shacking visibly, but her face relaxed and returned to a calmer state.

L tried to pry his hand away from hers now that he was sure she was better, but her grasp was stong and he was afraid that if he would try harder she would wake up. He shifted his position so that he could sit in the chair next to the sofa… the young woman sensed the slight movement in her sleep and mumbled something softly. L was unsure whether he had heard correctly or not, but it seemed she had said:

"Please… stay…"

Although it was more than likely that she had said something entirely different, L stayed. He reasoned with himself that it was only because it wouldn't so anyone any good for her to wake up in such a distraught state. However, as he felt her warm fingers nestled in his hand, he couldn't help but ask himself whether or not there was another reason he could not figure out… he quickly cast that thought away.

Half an hour later, the room was still filled with silence. Ciel had fully calmed down and her sleeping form kept a peaceful aura around her; still she had not let go of L's hand during all this time thus leading to Ryuuzaki becoming a very restless detective. In the end he had called Watari and asked him to bring his laptop from the desk and another piece of cake from the kitchen. The old man had merely smiled, but said nothing. He brought the laptop over to the detective and L had started checking the state of the Kira affair. The twelve agents had been mobilized in the Kanto area to follow those who may become potential suspects in the case and write down anything that seems suspicious. At last the huge chess game between himself and Kira was set in motion… his pawns were moving. Now he had to wait for the black's move.

In the meantime he wanted to find out something else… whether or not Takeo Morizawa had been found dead or alive. A headline rapidly caught his attention as soon as he accessed the file he needed. It was an extract from a newspaper attached to the police report.

"Thirty year old Morizawa Takeo has been found dead yesterday on the alley behind the Palace Hotel. The prime suspect in a series of three thefts and one homicide appears to have been killed by one of his recent victims as defensive wounds and nail scratches have been found on his arms and signs of struggle were present. Unfortunately, due to the heavy rain that fell yesterday night any potential DNA samples have been washed away. Also, although fingerprints have been found on the hunting knife used to stab Morizawa to his death, the police had been unable to find a positive match in the data base."

L closed the file… he didn't need to read any longer. He glanced at Ciel and wondered if that night was the reason her sleep had been plagued with nightmares…

**********

[1] After reading the LABB Murder Case I often wondered if B died before or after L got involved in the case. If it were for the first, I truly believe that L would have wanted to catch Kira for B as well, even though he was a crazed *cough*lovely*cough* jam-addict, almost serial killer. He was still part of Wammy's House so I think there would have been a slight desire to avenge Beyond on L's part.


	5. Ability

**_A/N And I finally present you chapter 5 yey ^^ I'm very glad for the reviews I got so far and I really wanna thank you guys a lot XD Think we could make it to 20 reviews until I post chapter VI? :D_**

**_Matt: Stop beating around the bush SR-chan._**

**_Me: Me? Beating around the bush? Neah…_**

**_Matt: Then say it._**

**_Me: *glares* Fine! Don't own XD_**

**_narutowolf: *hugs*_**

**_foxdemon12: Thank you._**

**_HaleyJo: Thanks *hugs*_**

*******

"Thank you!" Ciel muttered as soon as she woke up, letting go of L's hand. She wasn't used to having to rely on someone else, but in this case the young man's presence had proven itself of great importance to her. She had expected to feel the aftermaths of the attack in one way or another, but she hadn't realized they would manifest themselves in her dreams forcing her to relive that accursed night.

"Think nothing of it." L responded moving away from her and returning to his desk, hiding his face behind the screen of his laptop. He noticed she hadn't blushed, giggled or looked away after she had released his hand like he had seen other over-emotional, hormone controlled girls do. She merely gazed at him with her emerald eyes and thanked him; her calmness could almost rival his at some times where it not for her body language. She was, from what L could gather, stronger than an average person. One could not see her internal struggle merely by gazing at her facial features; she was able to conceal her emotions incredibly well, her only weakness being her body posture that was bound to give her away… Right now he could sense confusion, slight anger and curiosity coming from her.

Ciel watched the young man carefully; L, the century's greatest detective stood in front of her, looking nothing like she had expected. She was intrigued, not knowing what to expect from him now that she knew who he really was. He couldn't simply send her away now…

"So…" she stated "you're L."

"How can you conclude this by simply basing your decision on a voice mail you've heard? How can you know I'm not simply posing as L?" Ryuuzaki asked in a matter-of-fact tone. He asked her a simple question to check her deductive capacities in order to decide whether to ask for her help in the case or not. He had no need of invaluable assessments.

"I think it is safe to assume that no one would have had the courage to steal L's identity. After all, all those connected to the police forces have heard stories of what have happened to detectives trying to pose as L. In addition I do not believe just anyone would receive a message concerning the Kira case."

"Quite so." L nodded. She was pretty good; her reasoning had been mostly plain, but it could not be attacked. However, what L really wanted to test were her profiling abilities; L wanted to see how she would describe Kira, what she would sense different about him.

Ciel didn't know what to say… she knew very well his question had been a test to see whether or not she would be able to give a simple reasoning or not. She knew there was a slight possibility that she would be able to persuade L to let her join the investigation and she would make sure to take advantage of it… after all Kira had stolen someone very special from her. She considered him a friend, even though the circumstances in which they had met hadn't been favorable to any of them. Ciel was certain that he saw her as a mere acquaintance, but considering his background she couldn't have asked for more. At least he trusted her…

However, everything came to an end when Kira had killed him two weeks prior [1]. She had managed to keep her calm and act like nothing had happened, but she vowed that given the chance she would bring Kira to his end.

"So you are L" she repeated "and as everybody knows you are at the moment investigating the Kira case. Most likely, as we speak, the FBI agents are monitoring any possible suspect. However, they do not know who you really are… me on the other hand…" she stopped. Ciel didn't want to sound like she was blackmailing him for she knew very well that she had no chance of doing so. "You can't simply send me away, in case Kira gets to me " she frowned fully aware of the small likelihood of this fact "Let me help you instead." She added calmly "A psychiatrist can see things that a detective cannot, even if he is the century's best. I can notice subtle things like a slightly different behavior or a sparkle in the eyes." She finished then folded her hand in her lap. She had tried her best, now it was only up to him. L could very well send her to some far-away land until the Kira case was over and she was no longer threat to him.

L buried himself further in his work… so she wanted to aid him in the case… Interesting! What reason could she have to do so? Kira was getting rid of criminals, so what would a young psychiatrist with an elusive past have against him? She couldn't have been sorry to see some of her former patients see their end, thus no longer posing a thread to her or anyone else. He could sense she was being truthful about wanting to help in the investigation, but what had driven her to do so and risk her life? Calmness had seemed to sweep over her; she didn't look like a person who was challenging fate… what was she hiding?

L glanced at her from behind his laptop… she was waiting for an answer. Still, he couldn't simply accept her without knowing what she was capable of. He had to test her and analyze her abilities more in depth.

"Ciel-san, you do realize that in order to let you help me with the case I have to see in which ways you are able to aid me. Although you have a background with the police, this case is different and you are already a potential threat to me."

"I understand…" she nodded then asked a bit confuse "Should I call you L or continue with Ryuuzaki?"

"Ryuuzaki will do…different aliases are necessary especially in this particular case as I do not plan on losing to Kira. And now, if you are sure, I will show you some information regarding the case… I would like you to analyze them and come up with your own conclusions."

Ciel nodded and scanned the files he had shown her… Kira killed mostly criminals, but sometimes used other evil doers to send messages. He needed a name and a face to kill, but that was already common knowledge. He also seemed to be taunting L…

Half an hour later, the young woman had drowned several conclusions regarding Kira's profile based on what she knew and the information L had provided her with.

"As everyone already knows Kira needs a name and a face to kill; this new found power has most likely given him a strong God-like complex, making him believe that he has the right to punish the sinners in order to restore peace in the world. He probably has a strong sense of Justice, otherwise he wouldn't have used his power in this way, trying to "purify" the world. I also believe his is quite rich otherwise he would have used his power in order to gain financial welfare. Kira is most likely a teenager or merely into adulthood as he has proven to be very childish. The taunt is clear in the message he left you: "L did you know Shinigami only eat apples?" He knows something that you don't so he's better than you. He hates being threatened so he killed Lind L. Taylor as he saw him as a potential danger. He probably threw a fit after finding out you were still alive." She took a deep breath and looked like she would continue, but changed her mind. "This is all I have till now." She added. One thing that had intrigued her had been the mention of the Shinigami… her friend had mocked the existence of Gods of Death only a few months ago so how come had they resurfaced again? Were they real or was it just a code referring to Kira's method of killing. Shinigami were unnatural and resided only in tales, but what had ever been natural about Kira? Ciel promised herself to research more in depth… it may prove to be a vital point in the investigation; Kira didn't strike her as someone who believed in fairy tales and myths.

Ryuuzaki had been rendered almost speechless for once… he hadn't expected her to profile Kira so thoroughly by merely using the information about the deaths of the criminals and Lind L. Taylor. She had reached the same conclusions as him in a limited amount of time. He was impressed; however he couldn't stop wondering whether she had previously researched Kira on her own prior to their accidental meeting; if this was the case why would she bother to check a case that wasn't even hers? Although she was incredibly elusive, Ciel still would have been an indispensable addition to the investigation. It wasn't even hard to make up his mind…

" I would be glad to accept your help, Ciel-san. However you are to follow some strict rules: you are not to leave this building or whatever other I choose as a new headquarter without my permission and without being accompanied by Watari. Also you are not to share any information about the case with anyone else, no matter who they are. Tomorrow or a day after tomorrow we shall be moving to the Teito Hotel." L watched her trying to figure out her reaction, but nothing gave her away… she was as stiff as a stone.

" I understand" Ciel nodded "Thank you, Ryuuzaki."

*******

[1] Thank you HaleyJo for telling me when B died. However, as I mentioned him dying before the FBI agents and Naomi Misora, it would not suit my purposes to change the timeline, therefore in this story B was killed before the whole Lind L. Taylor thing. Sorry for the inconvenience.


	6. Check

A/N Yepiiiii 19 reviews you guys are great. So I have decided to update faster to show you my whole gratitude. This chapter is finally getting a bit in the manga plot ( yes, yes I am reading the manga to write this, although I haven't read it fully before ) so there will be a bit of action XD. And now… *brings Light restrained and glares at him*

Light: I will not!!!

Me: Then I will throw you to the L fans all over the world. Or better yet to your fans they have quite interesting ideas. *evil glint*

Light: *gulps* Fine! S.R.-san doesn't own anything except Ciel Brouillard.

Me: Good ^^

Hilarious-Mayhem: Thank you. I have updated maaaaaaaaaaaaaaasteeeeeeeeeeerrrr *vampire minion voice*

HaleyJo: Thanks again ^^ And 10 points to you .

Narutowolf: Awww *hugs* my no 1 fan ^^

foxdemon12: Thankies XD

coolkiwi101: Wow? Really O_o thanks I feel flattered XD

*********

A couple of days had passed since Ciel had been allowed to join the investigation. She had managed to convince the detective to let her return to her cabinet for a couple of hours to gather her stuff and put a note on the window saying that she would be absent. She also used the opportunity to go home and grab some clothes; of course she hadn't gone unaccompanied. As previously agreed Watari had driven her there. That was the only time she had left the headquarters; anyway she had no desire whatsoever to slack off. She wanted to help L as much as she could and see Kira behind bars.

Ciel had tried researching Shinigami as soon as she got her laptop back from her home. The Gods of Death still haunted her; she felt like she was missing something and unfortunately the scarce information she had found online had been useless. The internet was full of scary drawings and grotesque pictures, of silly tales and horror stories… nothing could have helped her in her quest. Her only hope was a library she had found while surfing for information; it was supposed to hold an impressive collection of rare books about mythical tales, ancient history and long forgotten beliefs. Maybe she would find something there… she made a mental note to send an e-mail to the owner of the library inquiring about books on Shinigami.

The young psychiatrist was alone in her room… her red hair was covering her emerald eyes and the bags under then. Lately she had been very sleep deprived due to numerous nightmares haunting her dreams… she would dream the same scene over and over again, without being able to pry herself from it. She sighed and clicked her mouse a couple more times… she needed to gain more information.

Suddenly Watari walked in her room; his mime was grave and almost saddened. He appeared older than his age, more wrinkled and grey.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, miss Ciel." He said gravely "Ryuuzaki is requesting your presence."

"Thank you for letting me know, Watari-san." Ciel got up and quickly left the room. What could have happened to make Watari look so grave? Why was L asking for her now, especially since he knew she was researching? Suddenly she froze… something must have gone wrong and if that was the case then it could only mean that Kira had somehow gotten to the FBI agents or other innocent people. The young woman quickly dashed towards L's room…

The detective was deadly calm… he was gazing at the screen of his laptop in complete and total silence. Ciel could sense he was angry; he never showed any type of emotion, especially anger or frustration, but the young woman could sense what kind of mood he was in. Now, from the aura he was spreading, it was clear that something deadly wrong had happened that threw his plans upside down.

"Please sit down, Ciel" his deep, monotonous voice rang in the room. The psychiatrist noticed it was the first time he had addressed her simply as Ciel without adding "-san"; her worry that something wrong had happened only increased.

"Did something happen, Ryuuzaki?" she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Kira has stroke again." L said simply "He somehow got to the twelve FBI agents. All of them died of mysterious heart attacks, shortly before they would have had to send their reports. The government of the USA drew back any agent that may still have been lurking in Tokyo. Apparently, Kira got to some of my pawns before I could even make a decisive move on him."

Ciel noticed a slight change in his tone… was it defeat? No, it was something else… resignation maybe? She had noticed how L had referred to the case as a chess game; that meant he was almost in check and was looking for a way out. Ciel guessed that L knew he had no change other than to show himself to the police task force in order to fully gain their trust.

"What do you plan on doing now?" she asked "You cannot solve the case without the task force and they do not trust you."

"I can solve the case by myself " Ciel squinted her eyes… hubris or confidence? ",but I admit it would take much longer. I plan on revealing myself to those who trust me enough to work with me."

L opened his laptop…

" I have been recently informed" a stern, commanding voice came from the computer speaker, though it seemed to be talking with someone else and not L… probably the police force " that Kira has gotten to the twelve FBI agents sent by the SUA government to aid us in the case and killed them without a second thought. He does not like being threatened and has started killing the guilty as well as the innocent. I am not asking you to continue the investigation… think about your friends and families, afterwards decide whether you want to continue or not. You can be sure there will not be any repercussions if you decide to resign from the case. I will leave the room for five minutes; those who wish to quit now may leave during this time." A sound of a door closing accompanied the speck and Ciel guessed that must have been the unit's chief. After his leaving, sounds of chairs moving, doors opening and closing followed making the young woman wonder whether there would be anyone left in the room when the chief returned. Finally, five minutes passed and the moving ceased…

"Welcome back, chief!" a younger, almost childish voice said.

"Only five me" the first voice said gravely "No, only five men who are willing to put their lives on the line to confront evil. Including myself that makes six. But how can we continue the investigation while we're this understaffed?"

"Chief, if you include Watari and L that makes eight" the younger one said again. Ciel smiled to herself, thinking they were actually nine, not eight even though the police forces were unaware of this fact.

L nibbled on his thumb… he had been expecting to see many of the participants in the case give up… in fact he had expected it. Now he knew whom he could trust in the upcoming investigation.

"It is only you with your strong conviction that I trust." He said in the microphone and Ciel couldn't help wondering how his voice sounded on the other end… she was sure it was most likely for it to be synthetic.

"Hold… hold on a second!" another voice said "L says that he trusts us. But we don't trust him!" Ciel noticed L had stiffened a bit, but stood silent.

"L, we're determined to catch Kira even if it costs us our lives" another of the six said "We should all understand what it means to put that on the line."

"But you just order us around without showing your face" the other one said angrily "We will pursue Kira, but without your assistance."

Ciel scowled darkly… was it really that hard to understand that if L were to die, then Kira would have free reign over the world? Could they not see why L chose to hide his identity? It was pretty obvious as far as she was concerned.

"We're not the only ones who doubt you. Twelve members of the FBI are dead because of you. You can't argue the circumstances," one of them said angrily. A flash of shock, anger and anguish flared on L's face, but Ciel did not notice it. He was able to conceal it too well.

"There are some criminal psychologists who are saying "L is Kira". They claim that L has multiple personalities. The FBI agents are all dead and L would have known who they were" the chief said and Ciel snorted silently. L was Kira… what total nonsense. The detective threw her an amused glance.

"L, if you're willing to join forces with us to catch Kira come to the headquarters and work with us in person. Then we would be able to trust you."

"Earlier I said "I only trust you people" the detective spoke in the microphone "Watari!"

"Yes!" There was a small screeching sound like something was being turned around.

L started tapping on his keyboard. Ciel quietly went behind him to see what he was writing.

"What happens from now on must be kept between the eight of us. Very soon I'm thinking of meeting you six whom I trust. None of you will mention a word of our meeting or the things mentioned in it. Leave and consider whether you can promise me the above and put your faith in me. I'll set up a meeting when those who have decided they trust me return."

Ciel gently put a hand on L's shoulder to gain his attention.

"L" she rarely used this alias of his, preferring the other name he had chosen for reasons known only to her. "Are you sure about this? Can you really trust them?"

"Yes, Ciel" he nodded " there is no other way." She quickly observed he had ignored her second question. L glanced at her and saw her dark bags hidden by her red bangs and how her skin had gotten even paler "You look dreadful. Too tired of it to be normal… you should have some rest, I'll finish here."

"I'm ok. I'll lay down on the sofa for a couple of minutes." As soon as she put her head down on the soft, velvet couch, rather unwilling, her eyes closed and darkness swept over her. Suddenly she was thrown in the clutches of another nightmare… [1]

*********

[1] Ciel is reliving the first part of her attack, the one she dreamt in chapter IV. Although, she doesn't admit it she needs some help and will therefore lack proper sleep until she can accept that.


	7. Decision

_**A/N Ok guys I realize I am extremely late with this update, but I've had a major writer's block combined with an inability to agree with myself regarding the way this story shall end, so I kind of let you guys waiting for which I am very sorry.**_

_**narutowolf: Once again thank you for your review**_

_**foxdemon12: Thank you.**_

_**TheCrimsonCritic: Thank you for your feedback ^^**_

_**Lmaos: thanks**_

_**SR: *drags Matt on the scene***_

_**Matt: *smoking* First the new game you promised me ^_^**_

_**SR: *huffs* Fine then! *throws Matt an Assassin's Creed DVD***_

_**Matt: SR-chan only owns her OC Ciel Brouillard.**_

* * *

Ciel found herself caught in the same scenario yet again; she felt Takeo's powerful hit once more and gasped as the pain spread through her entire being. By now she had come to distinguish dream from reality and she knew that everything was only another nightmare; however she had no way of waking up. Instead she kept dreaming over and over again.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that must have hurt" Takeo mocked her, grinning cruelly "Such a pity…". He tore apart the hem of her dress, revealing her thighs and made a long, shallow cut across her leg. "Don't worry, little rose, it'll be over soon…"

Suddenly, a siren rang in the surrounding darkness and the attacker froze… he couldn't be caught now, before finishing his brother's work. Noticing his lack of attention Ciel shifted her body towards the right side and with what force she had left, powerfully kicked him over the arm making him drop the knife. Taken by surprise, Takeo lost his grip on her allowing the young woman to run away and pick up his knife in her wild dash.

The man cursed and ran after her. He couldn't lose her now. Takeo was stronger and much faster than a weakened and frightened young woman… in a matter of seconds he caught up with her and roughly got a hold of her wrist, bruising it.

Frightened, Ciel turned around, her eyes wide with terror and before even realizing what she was doing her hand, grasping the knife tightly rose trying to defend herself…

Meanwhile, L was waiting patiently, paying no attention to the sleeping psychiatrist. He wanted to hear the task force's decision. Finally the sound of a door opening was heard. L started typing.

"Right now I'm in a room at the Teito Hotel."

"But the Teito Hotel is right under our noses." The younger one exclaimed in disbelief.

"I knew it. You figured it would come to this." The chief mumbled to himself, almost quietly enough for his thoughts to go unheard by L. The detective allowed a smirk to make its way upon his face… at least their chief was a man with whom he could surely work.

"I'll be moving from hotel to hotel every few days" L continued typing " From now on, the police building is only the headquarters in name. Instead, the true headquarters will be my hotel room. Now, I'll have to take precautions so Kira doesn't know my face so we won't all be together. If you're willing to trust and work with me split in two groups. Get my room number from Watari and come here before midnight, tomorrow on the 31st, before 2004. I'll be waiting."

L closed his laptop and sighed almost inaudibly. Right now he was getting closer to Kira; he had had some clues given to him by the deaths of the twelve FBI agents that made it possible for him to make his move. It was time to finally reveal himself…

A small moan interrupted his thoughts… he glanced at Ciel and saw her whole face contorted, distress clearly written on it. However, that was the only sign of pain she was showing. Unlike the last time she was suffering in silence; that was probably the reason she looked so tired all the time. L was, yet again, unsure what to do. He knew perfectly well how she had managed to relax last time, though it could have been a mere coincidence, but he was unwilling to spend valuable hours in the same posture again. However, he knew he had to comfort her otherwise in a few days she would be a walking zombie… Ciel needed rest. He headed towards her room and grabbed a soft, velvet blanket that he gently placed over her sleeping form. His right hand rested on her shoulder, merely inches away from her cascades of red hair, trying to let her know that she was safe. Ciel relaxed and slightly shifted in her sleep, a small smile blooming on her face.

For a moment L felt the need to touch her soft hair and his fingers got closer, almost brushing it tenderly. He frowned, giving up the idea and moving away from Ciel… he could not be distracted now. His task had been completed…

The few hours left until the time to meet the task force came and passed swiftly. Ciel was eager to meet them, although she kept a calm face and did not show her anxiety; she had not recognized any of the voices she had heard, however one could not trust she had not seen with her own eyes.

L on the other hand was his usual stoic self; he didn't stop working on the case and not once did he mention the coming of the task force members unless the young woman mentioned it.

"Three more minutes, L" she announced. The detective nodded and watched her from the corner of his eyes. She had a healthier look around her and he supposed that it was because of her ability to finally have a good night's rest. However he was unsure whether her nightmares would make a comeback or not. Still, that was not the matter at hand right now. He had more urgent tasks to worry about…

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked out of the blue making him frown, curiosity taking over the detective trying to understand what she meant. "You could lose… everything" she paused two emotions flickering on her face: concern and yet another that L couldn't distinguish. "The closer you get to the real world, the closer you get to Kira. Are you really willing to risk everything?"

Even though he may not have known it, this was a test for him given by Ciel. She wanted to know how he really felt about this case… she had no chance, but to move forward, getting closer to Kira, closer to her target and do everything in her power to stop the mindless killer who was now ruling the world, but what about L? Would he risk his all?

"Yes." She froze. Ciel had half-expected to hear L say that he couldn't lose, that he would bring Kira to his end and that justice would prevail, or even that he would pursue this case as long as it interested him, but acceptance was not what she expected on his behalf. Right now, L had acknowledged he was merely human…

"Even if this will be my last case it is my duty to bring it to and end, whether it means losing my life or not. I will not let Kira win."

"I'm glad to hear that." Ciel flashed him a look laced with raw determination and triumph that it confused L even more than her question did. "I had a friend once" she said in a bittersweet tone "that risked everything to reach his goal, even if his method was not the wisest one. In the end he lost, but he did it knowing that he tried his best. It took him some time to accept his defeat, but in the end he did it and embraced his fate. I will also follow in his steps and help you catch Kira whatever the costs." She smiled in an almost frightening way, as if challenging all the Gods of Death and in that moment L knew that he had seen that smile before, although he could not tell where. His mask slipped for a few moments, surprise flickering in his obsidian eyes.

"Thank you for your reassurance, Ciel" he said, returning to his emotionless state. "You mentioned you had a friend. May I asked what became of the one you admire so for his determination?"

"He died." A look of anger crossed her face "No! The correct phrasing is not he died, rather he was killed." Hatred flared on her face for a moment.

L was one hundred percent sure that the killer had been Kira…

* * *

_**Phew ^^ No more [1] thingies here, but if you have any questions do not hesitate to stay. Constructive criticism is luff, but please guys no flames as I do not have a bucket of water nearby ^^**_


	8. Meeting

**_A/N Yes I am actually updating again ^_^. I'm feeling extremely guilty for the huge hiatus I took from this story so I'm trying my best to continue it right now. Once again please note that English is not my native language so I may have grammar and spelling mistakes. Also there are going to be spoilers for the LABB novel and the Death Note pilot in future chapters so consider yourselves warned._**

**_SR: *holding an apple* Neh Ryuk! Want a nice red apple?_**

**_Ryuk: Of course!_**

**_SR: *hides apple* Then please state the disclaimer._**

**_Ryuk: Kukuku, sure! Why not? She doesn't own Death Note otherwise she wouldn't be spending her time on fanfiction._**

* * *

L scanned Ciel from head to toes; something had changed about her right now, something he could not understand at the present moment, but was planning to discover.

Before the clock stroke midnight, a loud knock could be heard at the door. The task force members had arrived; turning slightly towards the young psychiatrist who was now sitting on the sofa, hidden from view once someone entered the hallway, L glanced both at her and the door.

"Please, do not give your real name upon meeting the task force members if you are not acquainted with them. There has been a leak of information from the police force and we have yet to discover where it came from."

"Very well, Ryuuzaki." Ciel nodded her head. "However, I assure you that the probability of Kira finding and killing me is rather slim."

L frowned slightly then walked towards the door. Where had her confidence come from?

"We've been expecting you." Watari's voice rang in the hallway. "Please come in."

The door opened and five men made their way in the hotel room. In front, L assumed, was their chief, a middle aged man. The others followed closely behind; all of them were fairly young, the first three most likely in their early thirties, while the last was probably in his middle twenties.

"I am L." that was the detective's only response to the arrival of the five men. Distrust and confusion could be clearly seen on their faces as they took into account his shabby appearance.

"I am Yagami, the chief of the police." The eldest man made the first move.

"I'm Matsuda."

"Aizawa."

"Mogi."

"Ukita."

Hidden from view, taking everything that was happening into account, Ciel tried very hard not to roll her eyes. How very irresponsible of the five men to give away their names so easily. L's reaction to their introduction did not disappoint her.

"Bang!" The detective raised his arm, having his thumb held upwards and his pointer foreword, mimicking a gun.

"That's not funny!"Aizawa and Matsuda exclaimed.

"If I was Kira, you'd all be dead already. As you may know by now, Kira needs a name and a face to kill his victims. Although, logically speaking this is impossible, that's precisely what Kira has been doing so we can only conclude that he uses a supernatural killing method." He turned around and headed towards the other room, beckoning the others to follow him.

"We are the only ones left pursuing Kira. You must be more cautious; don't go giving your name away so recklessly."

As soon as they stepped into the room, the five men frowned in confusion upon seeing the young woman that was calmly sitting on the sofa.

"My name is Raine Oswald." Ciel said sitting up and smiling "It is nice to finally meet you."

"Raine-san is my assistant on this case. She is a forensic psychiatrist and her aid may prove to be crucial when catching Kira." L clarified "Now, let's get down to business. Please turn off your mobile phones and place them on the table."

Aizawa and Ukita mumbled that L did not trust them and that he probably will never trust them, but the chief urged them to do as they had been told.

"You're wrong" L stated calmly "I merely find it disturbing to have our conversation interrupted by incoming calls." L took a seat on the armchair, standing in his trademark position, crunched with his hands on his knees. "Do not write anything down; you can never know in whose hands the notes may fall. Also don't call me L. Call me Ryuuzaki. Safety first!"

"I have an idea." Matsuda suddenly said "What if we asked the media to stop broadcasting criminals' names? Won't that stop Kira?"

"That's a bad idea." Ciel stated simply glancing at the young man; he was eager to help that was sure, but was still too naïve to understand all the mechanisms of the world. Kira was no ordinary criminal; all moves had to be made with extreme caution. Her harsh response immediately cut off his enthusiasm, but she could see he was not one to give up so easily.

"If you do that Kira will start killing innocent people." L said calmly, giving an explanation to Ciel's answer.

"Why would he do that?" Aizawa asked in disbelief.

Ciel scanned the man for a moment, then moved on. Except for Matsuda who probably still believed in Santa Claus and most likely chief Yagami, none of the other three men truly trusted L. Did they believe in his abilities? Completely. But trust him? No.

"Because Kira is childish and hates to lose." L answered promptly "Just like I am childish and hate to lose."

A small grin appeared on the psychiatrist's face as she realized just how accurate the description was.

"What do you mean, L… I mean Ryuuzaki?" Chief Yagami asked confused.

"Kira killed the fake L without giving it a second thought, thus breaking his pattern of only killing terrible criminals. After announcing my hypothesis that Kira is in the Kanto region the killings became concentrated in Japan. And there's also the matter about the FBI agents. He is very stubborn about not losing." L stopped a little to allow the facts to settle in everyone's minds.

"Most probably," Ciel interfered "if we stopped the broadcasting he would take the world as a hostage, killing petty evil-doers or innocent people."

"Yes," L added "He would consider their deaths to be on our hands as we hid the criminals from him."

Having finished profiling the task force members, Ciel allowed her thoughts to wander off knowing full well that everything L discussed with them right now had already been discussed with her days before their arrival. Her mind wandered back to the events of last night; even captured in her nightmare as she had been, Ciel had felt a warm, soft touch linger on her shoulder, telling her that everything was all right, assuring her that she was safe. Caught in her dream state she had associated the touch with one from three years ago. She remembered a cold winter night in LA when she had ran away from her overly cheerful friends and had started roaming the streets alone with her bitter thoughts, clad only with a light jumper, a pair of worn out jeans and dark boots, having no coat to keep her warm. She envisioned in her mind a certain dark haired man and could almost feel his warm hands put a coat over her freezing shoulders.

Surely, as soon as she had woken up, Ciel had realized everything had been a dream and figured that L most likely had placed the blanket over her sleeping form to calm her down, but the memory of the touch from years ago clashed with the newer one, leaving Ciel lingering in a melancholic state that she had successfully managed to hide from the detective.

The young woman was brought back from her musings upon hearing a question Yagami Soichiro had asked, a question that she had been wandering about until now.

"Ryuuzaki, you said you hated to lose. Is showing yourself in front of us a failure to you?"

"Yes. This meeting and the deaths of the FBI agents are both my fault. However, I will win in the end… this is the first time I'm risking my life to catch a criminal, but I want all of you who are risking your lives just now to know that… Justice will prevail!"

"Yeah!" the men cheered full of enthusiasm. "Let's get him!"

L rose from the sofa and headed towards the window, hands still in his pockets. He glanced outside taking into account the bustling life of the city that was continuing its course oblivious to the evil hidden in its midst.

Ciel watched the detective from her place on the sofa, fully aware of what he was thinking. They needed one crucial clue to get to Kira… no matter what they could not let him get away.

Several hours later, after the task force members had left for their homes, Ciel rose from her place and headed towards the kitchen to make two cups of hot chocolate. Upon returning she found L sitting in front of his laptop, eating a piece of cake; from the first moment she had met the queer detective, Ciel had noticed the strange way he held things: delicately, between his thumb and pointer as if afraid they would brake otherwise.

She set one mug of hot cocoa on the table next to him, while the other remained in her hands, warming them.

"It should have enough sugar in it to satisfy your taste." She said softly upon noticing him glance at the cup "You have an awful diet you know that? It's very likely you will die of diabetes before you reach 45."

"You are quite optimistic to presume, I might actually reach 40, Ciel." L said softly "Taking into account my line of work I will consider myself lucky to be able to finish this case alive." He took the cup and took a small sip of the warm liquid "It is quite good. Thank you."

"You are welcome." Ciel too started to drink her chocolate and they stood in silence a couple of moments, pondering over the events of the day.

"I wish to ask you something…" L started.

"I know. Most likely you want my professional opinion concerning the five men, am I right, Ryuuzaki?"

"Indeed." He took another sip of chocolate and stared at her with his round eyes, trying to figure out her thoughts, but her face remained an emotionless blank.

"Yagami Soichiro-san is a smart man. I have heard about him from the police officers I have worked with although I have never actually met him. He values justice above all and would go to any extend to see it done. Also, I believe he trusts you. As does Matsuda, although he is still immature from what I can tell and most likely joined this case because his model, Yagami-san stands against Kira. Aizawa, Mogi and Ukita do not trust you; you can see it in their eyes. For them, who have always been putting their lives on the line to catch criminals a couch detective as they consider you, no offense here, even though he is the century's greatest detective, is hard to trust. However, they are sincere in wanting to catch Kira and will aid you in this case. I believe none of them is connected voluntarily to Kira, although after questioning each of them I presume you reached the same conclusion…" Ciel trailed off.

"I see. Thank you." L drank what had remained of his hot chocolate and turned his attention back to the laptop. For him Ciel was as much of a mystery as Kira was; except the twelve FBI agents, Kira killed mainly criminals guilty of the most gruesome deeds. She had said her friend had been killed a while ago and he was most definitely not one of the twelve… who could she had been seeking revenge for?

The young woman turned around and headed towards her room. There she opened her own laptop and once more pursued the same trail she had been following a few days ago… that of Shinigami. Upon opening the mysterious library's website she was surprised to see some titles of books the library held. Several caught her eyes… however her face darkened when she saw the message on the homepage: the owner of the library was in England with business and would not be returning until September. How pointless… with a thud she snapped the screen of the laptop shut and collapsed on her bed. She had to find another lead…

* * *

_**And yup here is chapter VIII. As said before, constructive criticism is highly appreciated, but flames will most likely be ignored. After all only the author can catch his character's personalities perfectly the rest of us are mere amateurs. Please review ^^ **_


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